When asked about happiness, we usually think of something extraordinary, an absolute delight, which seems to get rarer the older we get.
For kids, happiness has a magical quality. Their delight at winning a race or getting a new bike is unreserved (毫无掩饰的).
In the teenage years the concept of happiness changes. Suddenly it's conditional on such things as excitement, love and popularity. I can still recall the excitement of being invited to dance with the most attractive boy at the school party.
In adulthood the things that bring deep joy—love, marriage, birth—also bring responsibility and the risk of loss. For adults, happiness is complicated(复杂的) .
My definition of happiness is "the capacity for enjoyment". The more we can enjoy what we have, the happier we are. It's easy to overlook the pleasure we get from the company of friends, the freedom to live where we please, and even good health.
I experienced my little moments of pleasure yesterday. First I was overjoyed when I shut the last lunch-box and had the house to myself. Then I spent an uninterrupted morning writing, which I love. When the kids and my husband came home, I enjoyed their noise after the quiet of the day.
Psychologists tell us that to be happy we need a mix of enjoyable leisure time and satisfying work. I don't think that my grandmother, who raised 14 children, had much of either. She did have a network of close friends and family, and maybe this is what satisfied her.
We, however, with so many choices and such pressure to succeed in every area, have turned happiness into one more thing we've got to have. We're so self-conscious about our "right" to it that it's making us miserable. So we chase it and equal it with wealth and success, without noticing that the people who have those things aren't necessarily happier.
Happiness isn't about what happens to us--it's about how we see what happens to us. It's the skillful way of finding a positive for every negative. It's not wishing for what we don't have, but enjoying what we do possess.As people grow older, they ______.
A.feel it harder to experience happiness |
B.associate their happiness less with others |
C.will take fewer risks in pursuing happiness |
D.tend to believe responsibility means happiness |
What can we learn about the author from Paragraphs 5 and 6?
A.She cares little about her own health |
B.She enjoys the freedom of traveling |
C.She is easily pleased by things in daily life. |
D.She prefers getting pleasure from housework |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 7?
A.Psychologists think satisfying work is key to happiness |
B.Psychologists’ opinion is well proved by Grandma's case. |
C.Grandma often found time for social gatherings |
D.Grandma's happiness came from modest expectations of life, |
People who equal happiness with wealth and success ______.
A.consider pressure something blocking their way |
B.stress their right to happiness too much |
C.are at a loss to make correct choices |
D.are more likely to be happy |
What can be concluded from the passage?
A.Happiness lies between the positive and the negative. |
B.Each man is the master of his own fate. |
C.Success leads to happiness. |
D.Happy is he who is content. |
“Show them the money!” That’s what some people are saying for college athletes. They say students who play sports for their school should receive salaries.
Top athletes should be paid because many of them practice full time, Mark Jameson argues. Rico Cannon, a former college football player, agrees. “Nonathletes can get a job for extra spending money, but many student athletes spend so many hours in training that they don’t have time to work,” he explains. “Shouldn’t athletes be able to earn extra money too?”
The students also make money for their schools when people buy tickets to their games. The players should receive some of that cash, supporter Robbie Pokora reasons.
College athletes are about honor and tradition, but they’re also a business. Thanks to ticket sales, there’s money for schools to build new athletic stadiums and give the coaches high salaries. The cash should be shared with athletes. They’re the ones out on the field or court working hard for their school.
The money matter has others crying foul, though. Kaitlyn Rentala argues that colleges should not pay their athletes. Students are in school to get an education. Playing a sport is an extracurricular(课外的)activity, not a job. If athletes need extra money, they can apply for college scholarships(奖学金). Michael Massett is a middle school teacher and a football and a basketball coach. He agrees. “Athletes should be paid with scholarships, like nonathletes are,” Massett explains.
In addition, if colleges pay their athletes, those students might focus more on sports than on their education. “Most students do not become professional athletes after college. If they focus too much on sports, they may not learn the skills they need to get good jobs,” Kate Macrae reasons. Plus, she says, many athletes have schoolships that help them pay for school.What is Rico Cannon’s opinion on paying student athletes?
A.They make money for their schools and should receive salaries. |
B.Training leaves them no time to work and they should be paid. |
C.Playing a sport at school is not a job and they shouldn’t be paid. |
D.They can apply for scholarships and should not be paid. |
Who supports the idea of paying student athletes?
A.Kaitlyn Rentala | B.Robbie Pokora |
C.Michael Massett | D.Kate Macrae |
What does the underlined part “crying foul” in Paragraph 5 mean?
A.Making no progress. | B.Giving up beliefs. |
C.having different opinions | D.Taking no interest. |
What’s the best title for the text?
A.Pay to play? —— Will it be popular with college athletes? |
B.College athletes make a lot of money for their schools. |
C.College athletes can apply for scholarships as their salaries. |
D.Pay to play?—— Should college athletes be paid? |
You and your friends are settling into your seats. The new Spider-Man movie is about to start and you’ve got the snacks: soda and popcorn. Food is part of what makes the movies fun.
Just as the lights go out, you catch a slight smell of … tuna fish?! You turn your head, searching for the source. Then you spot him: A couple rows back, some guy is enjoying a tuna fish sandwich. How’d he get that in here? You wonder. Then you remember how much you paid for your snacks.
What invites the unwelcome outside food is probably the price. Why pay $ 5 for a bag of M&Ms when you can get them for a dollar at the corner store?
Earlier this year, a Michigan man decided to fight for his right to snack. Joshua Thompson is using his local theater after it banned outside food. He argues the ban breaks a Michigan law that prevents businesses from charging extremely high prices. However, most legal experts believe Thompson has little chance of winning his case, though he does have a point: 85 cents out of a dollar of treats a movie theater sells is pure profit(纯利).
The truth is that movie theaters are more in the snack business than the movie business. A huge part of the ticket income goes to the Hollywood studio. This makes sense, since the studios have to pay the costs of movie production and advertising. But that often doesn’t leave much cash for the theater, which also has its own running costs. If customers stopped buying food, owners would have to raise ticket prices even higher.
Of course, there’s another reason to think twice before bringing food into the movies: It’s against the rules. Breaking those rules can have unpleasant consequences too. Some theaters will kick you out if they catch you. Even without the threat of punishment, we should follow rules all the time------out of respect.
Here’s a good idea: Eat before the movie.What is the topic of the text?
A.The pleasure of enjoying snacks. |
B.A Michigan man’s fight for his right. |
C.Movie theaters’ ban on outside food. |
D.Bad manners in movie theaters. |
What do we know about Joshua Thompson?
A.He broke a Michigan law. |
B.He is likely to lose the case. |
C.He thinks cinema tickets are too expensive. |
D.He was forbidden to have snacks at the theaters. |
In Paragraph 5, the author mainly explains _________.
A.how movie studios work with movie theaters |
B.how movie theaters reduce their operating costs |
C.why Hollywood studios must pay high costs |
D.why snack sales are important to movie theaters |
How does the author feel about bringing outside food into the cinema?
A.It is unacceptable. | B.It is convenient. |
C.It is great fun. | D.It is lawful.. |
Two words rhyme with each other when they have the same ending word, like “think,” ”pink”. The last word in each of the lines of a poem does not have to have a rhyming sound, many of them do. Two lines of poetry that rhyme with each other at the end are call rhyming couplet.
Writing rhyming poetry can be difficult because you need to choose words that not only rhyme but have meaning, too. Even though some poems are short, you have to think extra long at which words to choose. Here is an example of a short poem:
He was only a bug, but he was the king.
She smiled at him when he gave her a ring.
He forgot to be careful of one little thing.
His queen was a bee, and she could sting.What does it mean when two words rhyme?
A.They have the same ending sound. |
B.They have different ending sounds. |
C.They must have the same meaning. |
D.They must have different meanings. |
Which of the following rhyme with each other in the short poem?
A.Ring and thing | B.Bug and king |
C.Queen and king | D.Bee and sting |
Rhyming poetry is sometimes hard to write because you need to choose___________.
A.rhyming words without meaning |
B.rhyming words with meaning |
C.short lines with extra long words |
D.meaningful words without rhyming |
As a teenager, Simon Weston wasn’t particularly good at his studies, but he was a good football player. He could also be naughty sometimes so his mother decided Simon should join the army when he was sixteen to teach him some discipline(纪律).
She was right; Simon really enjoyed army life and became a well-respected member. However, Simon’s life was changed forever in 1982. Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, which belong to Britain, and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher declared war(宣战). Simon was on board a ship taking troops to the Falklands when it was attacked and set on fire. In an act of great heroism, Simon tried to save one of his friends from being burnt alive. Sadly, he failed and was seriously burnt himself. At the age of 21, Simon’s life seemed over.
Simon had 70 operations to rebuild his face and body. He was so badly burnt that his mother walked past him in the hospital without recognizing her son. Simon struggled to call out, “Mum, it’s me, Simon.” Hearing his voice, his mother broke down in tears. Many thought Simon would die, but to everyone’s astonishment, he survived. Although he experienced terrible pain, Simon never gave up hope. After months of treatment, Simon slowly started to recover and, although he would be terribly scarred for the rest of his life, he was able to leave hospital.
This was when the real battle started. The physical pain slowly disappeared; however, the emotional pain became worse. Simon started to gout but was wounded by the stares of people who looked at him like he was some kind of freak(畸形的人). He felt like saying, “I wasn’t born like this you know. I was injured defending my country.” It took great courage for Simon to continue to go out.
Eventually, Simon became involved in charity work and met his wife Lucy with whom he has three children. Life has never been the same for Simon but his Bravery is an example to us all.Simon’s mother wanted him to join the army because ________.
A.he liked the life in the army |
B.she wanted him to be fit |
C.he was very good at playing sports |
D.she felt it would change his behavior. |
What can we infer from the text about Simon?
A.He succeeded in saving his friend in danger. |
B.he became an excellent professional soldier. |
C.he didn’t get along with other soldiers. |
D.he found life in the army very terrible |
What does the underlined part “the real battle started ” in Paragraph 4 refer to ?
A.Fighting against the physical pain. |
B.The struggle to come out of hospital. |
C.The misunderstanding by Simon’s mother. |
D.Dealing with people’s unfriendly attitudes. |
Which of the following can best describe Simon?
A.Aggressive and strong. | B.Calm and kind |
C.Brave and generous | D.Strange and selfish. |
Young Music Scene Concert Young musicians from all over Germany perform at Young Scene Concert at Berlin’s famous Quasimodo music hall. The concert is part of the Berlin Festival. Time: 15——20 Nov. Place: 45, 18756Berlin, Germany Cost: Various Email: info@quasimodo.de Phone: +34(0)45 839 5986 |
Documentary Film Month Cinemas, schools and libraries across France and the French-speaking world take part in November’s Documentary Film Month. About 120, 000 visitors take part each year. Time: 1——20 Mar. Place: 25 Road Pyramids, 75001 Paris Cost: Various Phone: +12(0)1 43 38 1973 Email: info@paris-touristoffice.com |
Craft Show You can come to the show twice a year, in spring and at Christmas. There are hundreds of artisans(手艺人) from across Canada selling jewellery, pottery, glass, ironwork and clothing. Time: 26 Nov. ——7 Dec. Mon.——Fri. 11 am——10 pm Sat. 10 am——8 pm Sun. 9 am——6 pm Place: Direct Energy Centre Cost: $ 10 Phone: +7 658 198 3245 Email: askus@oneofakindshow.com |
Canada Blooms Toronto Garden and Flower Show The Canada Blooms Show every year at the Metro Toronto Convention Center is the country’s largest indoor garden show. Time: Mar. 9 am——6pm Sun. 11 am——5 pm Place: Metro Toronto Convention Center Cost: $ 18; under 12 free Phone: +1 235 4478768 Email: info@mtccc.com |
People can enjoy music at Young Scene Concert from________.
A.1——20 Mar | B.15——20 Nov. |
C.26 Nov.——7 Dec | D.1 Mar. ——20 Nov. |
You can e-mail ___________if you want to see Documentary Film.
A.info@mtccc.com | B.askus@oneofakindshow.com |
C.info@paris-touristoffice.com | D.info@quasimodo.de |
You can buy ________at the Craft Show.
A.glass, ironwork and clothing |
B.different kinds of flowers |
C.classic music CDs |
D.some books about film |
If two adults and two boys of 9 want to see Flower Show and Craft Show, it will cost them ________.
A.$40 | B.$56 | C.$76 | D.$112 |
Which of the following is not true according to the passage?
A.Young musicians from all over Germany perform at Quasimodo music hall. |
B.Cinemas, schools and libraries across France take part in Documentary Film Month. |
C.People can enjoy the Craft Show from 9 am to 6 pm on Sunday. |
D.Toronto Garden and Flower Show is the world’s largest garden show. |